A Ho Chi Minh City resident was sentenced to two years in jail for selling wildlife to rich people for using as tonics, VnExpress said Friday.

The indictment said that since 2004, Ho Ngoc Hue, 57, had purchased wildlife from various unknown sources to sell to people and restaurants for soaking in wine and eating as meat.

Hue was charged with "violating regulations on protecting endangered animals that need special protection."

Officials of the HCMC Forest Management Department in March last year cooperated with the city's environment police and found 43 kilograms of wild animals still alive at Hue's house, including cobras and flower iguanas.

The animals have been transferred to Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Center in the city.

Earlier, the city Department of Agriculture and Rural Development had twice imposed fines of nearly VND5 million (US$256) for his violations.

It's not available who his customers are and if they had been discovered or punished for consuming the wild animals.